Do I Need Wedding Chair Covers? — Ask Emmaline

Today we’re talking about wedding chair covers and this is a good question! Tonya wrote us in our Ask Emmaline inbox wondering if she should pay to rent chair covers (is it really worth it?), buy wedding chair covers, or skip the cost altogether. She is also wondering where to buy wedding chair covers cheap. Today we’re talking about everything you need to know about wedding chair covers including whether to rent, buy, or skip. If you’re on the fence about renting or buying chair covers for your wedding, don’t miss this post! Enjoy!

Wedding Chair Covers

First things first, here’s Tonya’s question:

“Hi Emmaline Bride! I’m getting married in September and my reception hall wants to know if I need to rent wedding chair covers. We have 200 guests and the chair covers are one dollar per chair. Is it worth the $200 or should I put the money elsewhere? Is it cheaper to rent chair covers from somewhere else? Should I buy them, and if so, where can I buy wedding chair covers for cheap? Thanks!”

Hi, Tonya! Great question. I can see both sides of the coin: wedding chair covers can look really nice, but they also tack on another fee on top of your wedding budget. Do you spend the money for covers, or save it for something else? What to do?

What do your chairs look like?

Here’s the thing: what do your reception chairs look like underneath, all by themselves? If the chairs are in really great condition and you don’t mind the look of no chair covers, then I say, don’t do it.

Will the wedding chair covers really add to your overall look?

However, if the chairs are a little dated, you’re not crazy about how the chairs look by themselves, or you just always dreamed of chair covers, go for it, especially if you feel the addition will add elegance your reception space.

How much is it to rent wedding chair covers?

It sounds like you’re getting a reasonable price from your hall, and they’ll take care of the setup and take down (since they own the linens), so it’s really just a matter of footing the bill. If you can toss another $200 towards chair cover rentals, go for it. Typically we see chair cover rentals ranging from $1 to $3 per chair, along with an extra $1 or $2 for a sash to go on top (if you choose).

Do I have to rent chair covers?

We planned a wedding where the bride and groom were wondering the same thing. However, the venue had recently purchased new reception chairs. The chairs were only a few months old and looked fantastic. Since the bride and groom weren’t keen about the look of chair covers, they skipped it — and in the end, the reception looked absolutely beautiful.

The Bottom Line

Bottom line: if you like wedding chair covers and really want that “extra” look, go for it! If not, you won’t really notice they’re missing… and no one else will, either. There’s no rule that says you have to have wedding chair covers or sashes, or anything like that. :)

Photos: Wedding Chair Covers vs. No Chair Covers

Here are a few examples of reception chairs without covers:

And here’s two photos of reception chairs with covers:

photo credit: guvenliukash.info

See? Both look beautiful, and it is entirely up to you. Some of the chair covers are shown with sashes, too, which look nice (but add an additional dollar or so to each chair, so keep that in mind!) If you want to source your own sashes for less, you can buy them here in satin (bow design) or this elastic buckle sash (shown below) from here.

Since you also asked about where to buy wedding chair covers, I thought I’d let you know of a few resources. However, keep in mind that you’ll have, oh, ya know, 200 CHAIR COVERS left over to deal with and the cost of renting is SO MUCH CHEAPER. Sure, you can re-sell them (or try to), but why the hassle?

Where to Buy Wedding Chair Covers Cheap

These wedding chair covers from Emart are about $220 for 100 of them (and FREE shipping) so renting chair covers is definitely going to save you money. But, if you prefer to buy, this is a great resource. For a couple whose reception location doesn’t offer a rental (or you need to cover ceremony folding chairs), these are your best bet. Great quality, wonderful reviews, and they look really nice! The price is competitive, and we think it is the best price for the quality.

Where to Rent Wedding Chair Covers Cheap

You can also rent wedding chair covers (for banquet or folding style chairs) from here. Rent My Wedding has some amazing products you can rent for realllly cheap (remember this uplighting we showed you?) If your venue isn’t offering chair covers for rent as an option, this is a great way to go. Plus, you get free shipping.

Hi, I'm Emma. I'm an author, wedding planner, and founder of Emmaline Bride (with my husband, Andrew). I've published two books: The Inspired Wedding and The Handcrafted Wedding. When I'm not dreaming about or writing about weddings, I am usually working on my fitness, reading good books, watching tv shows and attempting various home projects. I'm a mom to two boys and a wife to the coolest guy on the planet. P.S. I'm almost always drinking coffee at any given moment. Follow along on Instagram and Twitter.